| The
Board of County Commissioners is the chief administrative and
policymaking body of Washington County government, and consists of five
members, four of whom are elected from districts and one of whom is elected
at-large. Board members serve four-year staggered terms. The Board chooses a
Chair and Vice Chairfrom among its membership during its
first meeting in December.
The greatest
single responsibility of the Board is control over the County's finances.
Every spring the Board must adopt a budget which appropriates funds to the
many departments and agencies of County government, and, at the same time,
provides sufficient revenue to meet these appropriations. The principal
source of this revenue is the tax levied by the Board on real estate and
personal property in the County.
The Board of
County Commissioners does not have complete authority over all the
services provided by the County. Many County activities are administered
by boards with varying degrees of autonomy and by elected officials who
receive their instructions from laws passed by the General Assembly. Some
examples are the boards of education, social services, health, mental
health, elections, register of deeds, and sheriff.
State law
requires the Commissioners to appropriate funds in the areas of health,
mental health, social services, and public schools. They must also provide
for the operation of the offices of the Register of Deeds and the Sheriff,
and are required to allocate funds for the maintenance of courtrooms and
related facilities. Similarly, the Board is charged with building and
maintaining the County Courthouse in Plymouth and all other buildings that
house County departments.
One major
responsibility of the Board is the influence over the type and extent of
development that will occur in the unincorporated area of the County. The
Board is the final authority on requests for changes in and amendments to
the County's Subdivision and Mobile Home Ordinances.
The Board is
assisted in the execution of its duties by the full-time professional
staff that constitutes the County's Department of Administration.
Washington County adopted the county manager form of government in 1975.
The day-to-day
administration of all facets of county government operation is carried out
by the full-time professional staff that constitutes the County's Department
of Administration. Washington County was a pioneer among North Carolina
counties when it adopted the county manager form of government in 1928.
The
County Manager carries out the day-to-day administration of County
government for the Board of Commissioners. The Manager implements the
policies established by the Board, advises them on matters of finance and
future need, and makes to them any recommendations considered advisable in
the interest of sound management. Perhaps the Manager's most important
role is that of liaison between the Commissioners and the many departments
of County government. The Manager serves in a similar capacity between the
Board and the governing bodies of the cities and towns of the County in an
effort to work with them toward the solution of joint problems.
Additionally, the Manager is the chief staff spokesperson for Washington County government. |
